Jennifer L. Langen

Litigation

Ms. Langen has been a member of the firm’s litigation team since 1998. Her practice is primarily dedicated to the defense of governmental bodies and officials in all types of cases, the defense of employers in employment law litigation, and the areas of civil rights litigation, zoning, ERISA denial of benefits cases, insurance coverage, and commercial litigation. Ms. Langen has experience at all stages of litigation, including pre-litigation investigation, alternative dispute resolution, pretrial discovery, motion practice, trial, and appeal. She has been involved with both civil jury trials and bench trials, and practices in both state and federal courts in Kentucky and Ohio.

Some of the matters Ms. Langen has handled include:

Prepared numerous responses to charges of discrimination for submission to the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Kentucky Human Rights Commission on behalf of both public and private employers.

Negotiated a nuisance value settlement on behalf of a county in a construction litigation case.

Won summary judgment for an employer on a plaintiff’s age discrimination claim. Otto v. City of Newport, E.D.Ky. Case No. 12-00019-DLB-CJS.

Obtained summary judgment on a property owner’s claim that the Planning Commission and its officials violated his constitutional rights and committed state law torts by adopting a zoning ordinance that prevented the property owner from opening a fireworks store at a certain location. Lewis v. Boone County Planning Commission, E.D.Ky. Case No. 2:12-90-WOB.

Secured defense verdict in a jury trial on four plaintiffs’ claims that two police officers had used excessive force against them. Gonzalez v. City of Covington, E.D.Ky. Case No. 2:10-CV-142-DLB.

Obtained summary judgment for a police detective on a claim that she violated the Fourth Amendment and committed various state law torts in connection with the prosecution of a man for child abuse. Robison v. Watson, E.D.Ky. Case No. 2:10-CV-00211-WOB-CJS.

Government Law

Ms. Langen has been part of the firm’s governmental law practice since 1998. As part of that practice, she provides legal guidance, support and litigation services for state and local governmental bodies, as well as individual government officials.

Ms. Langen has also worked as an Assistant City Solicitor in the General Counsel Division of the City of Cincinnati’s Law Department. In that role, she provided legal advice to a number of departments and officials in city government.

Some of the services Ms. Langen has provided to her government clients over the years include:

Attending public meetings of local governmental bodies and addressing legal issues that arise at those meetings.

Advising local governments on a wide range of topics, including, but not limited to, open records requests, open meetings issues, HIPAA compliance, employment and labor law, the legal ramifications of proposed ordinances, taxation, annexation, and eminent domain.

Drafting numerous ordinances and resolutions.

Assisting in the development of, and drafting, various policies, procedures and protocols.

Handling pre-litigation claims against the government.

Litigating claims on behalf of the government.

Employment Law

Ms. Langen has been advising both public and private employers in all facets of employment law since 1998. In her employment practice, Ms. Langen has helped clients successfully deal with discrimination, retaliation and harassment issues, leave entitlement and accommodation requests, wage and hour laws, and a variety of other employment-related topics. She has defended numerous lawsuits and administrative charges brought under both state and federal law, and has drafted multiple employment and non-competition agreements. And, Ms. Langen has helped employers develop and draft employment policies, procedures, and handbooks.

Appellate Law

Ms. Langen’s forte is appellate law, which she has been practicing since 1998. She has been tremendously successful before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the Kentucky Supreme Court, and the Kentucky Court of Appeals. She has experience in all facets of the appeal process, including preserving legal issues for appeal, helping clients secure appeal bonds, drafting appellate motions and briefs, and giving oral argument.

Spencer v. City of Catlettsburg, Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, Case No. 11-5832. Court upheld the trial court’s decision granting summary judgment to a mayor and city on a plaintiff’s First Amendment retaliation claim.